No Lies Here
by Gala Secrets
Summary: There are no lies, no secrets, no dishonesty when he crafts a new self. Skull embodies all of his performer's skills and tricks and showmanship. Skull is him and he is Skull, just as he is Claire, Jakob, Felix, Vino, Wilhelm, The Handyman, Railtracer. He is all of them and they are all him. But they are not built with lies, only truths. There are no lies here. Claire-is-Skull
1. Prelude

_"Cast aside the illusion that there is a beginning and end to the story. The story has no beginning. And it has no end. All there is, is a performance of people connecting, living, influencing each other, and departing." - Gustav St. Germain, Baccano!_

* * *

There is a distinct difference between those who prefer honesty and those who hate lying. While the former might prefer to be honest, a lie or a set of lies is still considered a viable option when faced with anything one would prefer to avoid. After all, despite said preference, there is still an allowance made for dishonesty that will continue to spiral once released. On the other hand, someone with a stalwart hatred for lying will avoid doing so at all costs and will not compromise his or her personal morals. Instead, he or she will be quite genuine in all interactions, words, desires, thoughts, intentions, actions, and relationships.

This level of sincerity, this genuineness, will ultimately catch others flatfooted. Because a person who hates lying, who detests dishonesty with every fiber, will almost never lie or delude themselves as it goes against everything that defines them at the center of their being. This makes it much harder to manipulate such a person as they have accepted everything about themselves and would rather not associate with those who are not honest.

After all, to such people, honesty will always be preferable.

* * *

**Hey everyone! **

**This story is dedicated to Midnight49, based on a review they left on one of my stories from my series 'Inconsistent Consistencies'. This is *not* part of the IC universe though.**


	2. Red Man, Red Skull

_"I'd rather be damned by my honesty, than caged by my lies." - Omega Maverick_

* * *

There is a man lounging in the shade of a caravan, just on the edge of the makeshift site for the performers while the Circus is in full swing. He is one of those people who lives what he says hates dishonesty. The circus troupe loves this man with genuine smiles and open love for animals, who seem to gravitate towards him. He is carefree and mirthful, often enticing the children and older youth into games designed to help hone their skills or teach them needed lessons. The little ones love him and call him Red Man for his red red hair with violet roots and hazel-red eyes that gleam red-violet in the dark. The older members alternate calling him a genius and miracle worker for how he works with the children. But he waves them off a light laugh, citing previous experience and working to understand how to work with all kinds of people. It's become more of an inside joke at this point, instead of the argument it was, because all involved agreed to disagree.

Red Man gets visitors from time to time and he responds to different names, depending on who he is speaking with. When he was asked, he responds by saying that all of his names, his identities, are just as real as he is and each is an individual person. He is all of them and they are versions of himself that have emphasized different characteristics of himself. However, he is still the same Red Man that lives kids and animals, who occasionally critiques their performances to make them better, who has made a point to get to know each individual person that makes up the troupe and their families, who will not tolerate any form of dishonesty. He is still the same man who says he'd rather not perform just yet, that he just wants to travel with them because he misses the lifestyle after he left his previous troupe for family reasons. He is still the same and that is all that matters to the traveling circus troupe who have adopted him as one of their own.

He's been with them for a little over a year when there is an incident that tells them that Red Man has claimed them as his own just as much as they have claimed him in return. It is during a performance when several troupe kids go missing and Red Man practically burns at the thought. He hunts them down and makes them pay while the children are in another room. He protects them from the sight of his destructive wrath as he takes them home. Several older members with older eyes understand exactly what had happened and now recognize the significance of one or more names he has been called. They do not judge, simply accept. From all walks of life, people have come to the circus for a respite. Some come for a single performance the return home and others just stay longer, like him.

One kid renames him Red Skull, after catching a glimpse of what he did when rescued them. The kid clings more to him with hero-worship and Red Man-Red Skull laughs as he accepts it. He become Skull of the circus, Skull the protector. He stays and is pulled back into the performing aspect when he gets his hands on a motorbike. When he crashes and walks away with no injuries, his little hero-worshiper calls him the Immortal Skull. The moniker sticks and is added to the program list of performances.

As both a performer and a man who detests lies the solution is the new persona of Skull who is every bit of him as every other one he has created. There is no lie, no secrets, no dishonesty hiding when he crafts a new self and that holds true with Skull. Skull embodies all of his performer's skills and tricks and showmanship at the forefront of his very essence. There is no lie here. Skull is him and he is Skull just as much as he is Claire, Jakob, Felix, Vino, Wilhelm, The Handyman, Railtracer.

(Of course, in the Underworld there were stirrings because while the kills were attributed to this 'Red Man/Red Skull', depending on who you asked, most recognized the work as belonging to one man. The Red Shadow wasn't as gone as everyone had thought.)


	3. What Is In A Name

_"One could mention many lovable traits in Smee. For instance, after killing, it was his spectacles he wiped instead of his weapon." - 'Peter Pan' by J.M. Barrie_

* * *

Claire was four years old when he found his mother crying because his father had lied to her and walked out on them. That's when he decided that he hated liars and lies. Not when they did this to his mother. With all the gumption that he could muster, Claire said as much to his mother's face and startled her out of her crying and into watery giggles. He was very proud of himself for achieving such a thing. A few years later, he stared at his mother with awe and wonder in his eyes as she stood her ground with a cast-iron frying pan against some thugs thinking that they could break into their little apartment. She kept them out and got the attention of a neighbor when they tried again.

"_You are my world and nothing else matters. You and me, we're the only people who matter in this world of mine. No one can take you away from me and there is nothing that can ever make me leave you."_

Those words stayed with him when his mother died two years later from some disease he didn't know the name of and that the doctor didn't know how to treat. He wanted to rage and burn and cry and collapse in on himself but he couldn't. Not when he had things to do; not when he wasn't alone.

"_I won't completely die. That's what I believe, so smile and believe in me. I'm your mother and I will never truly die. I'll be right here, in your heart, forever."_

The neighbor from two years ago helps him and so do the man's three sons. They don't make him leave the apartment, but rather help him pay the bills instead. Several people had tried to make him leave and promptly stopped when faced with a red haired boy glaring with glowing purple eyes flanked by three other boys, each with their eyes glowing orange and green and indigo. Later he learns that the neighbor is actually the head of the Gandor Family and that they were living in an apartment to make sure his own sons were raised humbly instead of luxury.

It is this same man who takes him aside and explains about the instincts (_possessiveprotectiveragedestroyhealfreedom_) that seem to war inside him. Old Man Gandor tells him all about the Clouds, Storms, and Suns that lie in his soul and his blood. How the Gandor brothers each have Sky and Lightning and Mists in each of them. That repressing them would be disastrous and that accepting them would make them easier to use. When Claire and the brothers Luck, Berga, and Keith all manifest their Flames, they are given training to control them. They are told about the stereotyping of the Flame types and are encouraged to explore how to use them on their own instead of the "approve" uses alone.

"_Your Flames are you, an extension of your soul, of your Will to live. No one can ever take that away from you and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Don't listen when people say that something is impossible. The world is yours for the taking, for you to mold and shape."_

Firo, all sandy hair and hazel eyes with the aura of a puppy, is found on the streets using is his own yellow flames to keep himself warm. Its only months after the talk about Flames when they find him and somehow Firo finds himself with four new brothers and a home. He is theirs and they are his. He is their little brother and they teach him everything they know and Old Man Gandor approves, despite the levels of sheer chaos and mischief that follow. These boys, his boys, will be a force to be reckoned with and heaven help anyone who tries to come between them.

The final pieces of Claire came with a sudden bout of restlessness and a need to just _go_. Old Man Gandor simply gives him a knowing look and points him in the direction of a travelling circus. He's barely sixteen and Old Man Gandor sees him off with a smile and a hug. While Claire doesn't have the best of morals, he does remind his fourth son to not compromise who he is for the whims of somebody else. His brothers remind him to come back and teach them what he learns, to be who he is, to do what he loves, and to remember to visit. Claire is wearing a reddish shirt and dark green pants that day, and Firo thinks is makes his brother look a lot like the Peter Pan he idolizes. In the travelling circus, he finally embraces everything he is and feels and throws himself into the troupe wholeheartedly. He learn everything he possibly can and excels at whatever he puts his mind to. His Flames, all three, finally settle now that he has fully accepted everything he is.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Vino is born in the circus on the night a man tries to force himself on one of the women in the troupe. He snarls and leaps into action with all the grace of a tiger as he tears the man away from her and destroys the offensive waste of humanity. When he comes out of the protective-rage induced haze, there are red-violet Flames on his hands and in his eyes and red blood splattered everywhere else. The woman just smiles, no fear, and thanks him. He grins back and there is no remorse or regret in him at all. When he escorts her back to the troupe and someone asks about the red on them, she smiles beatifically with mischief and says they may have spilled to get back at an annoying drunk.

She takes him back to her room and shows him her own barely flickering green Flames then explains that she is a hitman whose target was the man that he killed. The woman isn't mad but grateful for his timely intervention because she knows her own abilities but lost herself in her anger when she saw him. The man was a serial rapist and murder and she couldn't allow someone like that to continue to live. He agrees and then asks to learn, asks her to teach him to be neater, to not get covered in blood unless he wants to be, to be a hitman. Claire knows himself, knows that he feels no remorse for scum like that. He heard his own Storm singing in the destruction he caused, his Cloud snarling at the audacity to touch someone that was his without their consent, and his Sun burning to heal her injuries and scorch away the unworthy. Her response is that he needs a name and 'Vino' rolls off of his tongue immediately.

Vino, for Italian wines that Old Man Gandor likes, for the blood spilled everywhere, for the red Storm in his eyes and on his hands. Vino is Claire's Storm Flames incarnate, despite them being his secondary Flame. Under his skin, his Cloud propagates the effectiveness of his Flames, his other abilities, and the amount of blood his targets spill. The Sun augments his body and heals him as he goes. Vino is as bloody as he is red and completely tied into Claire in a way that his other names will never be, until Skull is born.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The Railtracer both is and is not a permanent identity, unlike Claire the primary and Vino the bloody. He begins as a scary story, a monster that picks off passengers on trains in the night and the only way to live is to avoid him till dawn. The troupe children love scary stories, especially this one that Claire creates. When Claire leaves the circus to travel the rails as a conductor, he brings the story with him and tells it to every other conductor he meets. Sometimes, he's beaten to the punch and the story has new embellishments. However, the Railtracer doesn't come to life until the night he's on a train from Chicago to New York on the most unfortunately named train to date. It's christened _The Flying Pussyfoot_ and he wonders if the guy who named it was drunk.

The other conductors aren't true conductors and all hell breaks loose. He starts as Vino, killing both men who say their targets are the other passengers on the train. But Vino turns into the Railtracer as he crawls along the sides and undercarriage of the train, targeting the Russos and the Lemures on his train. There are several he deliberately spares, like Czeslaw the Immortal kid that he spent some minutes torturing in the name of attempting to kill. But the kid didn't die and quite honestly, if his morals weren't so skewed, he would probably feel regret instead of curiosity over what he did to the kid. He'd never met someone who was immortal but without Flames involved somehow. Ladd was fun but turned annoying and Lua was odd but he left them for the police instead of killing them like the others that were tossed off the train.

Chane, though. Chane Laforet, who left a small cut on his face. The Railtracer slides back into Vino who admires her grace and her ability with her weapon. Claire admires her and is intrigued by the one person outside of his brothers who has ever physically left some kind of mark on him. She was something else, a type of person he'd never met before. No one had intrigued both Claire and Vino and it was incredible. He was drenched in blood, his white suit turned red, hair dripping with blood, his hands leaving blood marks and his face painted with the blood of the first kills of the night. She didn't scream or run, but sank into a fighting stance with a determined look in her eye. He told her he wanted to know her, to find her again, and proposed to her on the train roof top. In the chaotic aftermath, she vanished but he found her message telling him to find her in New York.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Alas, to hide his involvement in the bloody affair, he had to kill off his identity as Claire Stanfield. At least in the public records. In the backstreets of New York, be purchases a new name and Felix Walken breathes. Felix is Claire and Claire is Felix. He hasn't told anyone yet and takes the opportunity to mess with his brothers before meeting up with them. Of course, they have their own surprises as well. Somehow they are Immortal like the kid from the train. He grins and says nothing of the relief that burn through him because now they can't be separated. Then Firo pipes up about his promotion with the Martillo Family, who are now allies with the Gandors. It all results in the four of them tackling the youngest in congratulations.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The Handyman comes into being not too much later. Claire/Felix finds Chane and almost immediately rescinds the proposal after getting advice from Luck and Keith. Apparently, proposing to someone you just met wasn't something that you did. Chane does find something agreeable about him and he courts her before they eventually tie the knot. That's when The Handyman arrives in the Underworld to take the more lucrative jobs that call for a 'natural death'.

The Handyman is very different from Vino. He's meticulous, quiet, and is known for his use of Sun Flames. Of course, there are Cloud flames in the background increasing the potency of his Sun Flames and he uses the Storm to burn away any Flame signatures or evidence of his involvement. When asked by Luck, he openly admits that he wants to give Chane the world. After all, Claire might have been infatuated with her, but Felix married her, Vino admires her, and The Handyman helps provide for her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

By the time they have to change their names again, because people notice when you don't age, their children look more like their siblings. (The night of their wedding, Firo gave Chane the Elixir of Immortality at her request.) Considering that he and his wife, to a lesser extent, enjoy causing bits of chaos, the family rolls with it. So he sells the name Felix and picks up the new identity of Jakob Henderson, with his wife Chanel for the next couple decades.

When they change their names again, they are Wilhelm and Chantal Martin and it is Wilhelm that is dubbed Red Man, then Red Skull and finally becomes the Immortal Skull of his newest circus troupe. He's not ye sure where his wife or kids are but he's not completely worried. He and their daughter Claudia decided to come up with what he thinks is a fantastic game of Continental Hide-and-Seek. Charon and Chantal just rolled their eyes but grinned so he knows they've got chaos of their own planned. The longer he stays with the circus troupe, the more Claire (not Felix or Jakob or Wilhelm) slowly bleeds into Skull with pieces of Vino. He supposes that soon, it will only be Claire, Vino, The Handyman and Skull left since Claudia had taken on the Railtracer for herself. Like the other civilian identities, he knows that Skull will have to "die" but he's new enough that he's got a while yet before that happens so he's going to throw himself completely into this troupe before moving on to the next one. Long enough to leave a hint for Charon and Claudia and Chantal but not long enough for them to catch him yet.

They're an immortal family (they let Charon and Claudia decide for themselves) and they've got all the time in the world.

_(However, Skull will not be dying, at least not in the Underworld. If anything, Skull will become a permanent fixture and a well-known name, even more than Vino or The Handyman. All because of the Man in the Iron Hat)_

* * *

**Well this is definitely the longest chapter I've ever written. Honestly, I kind of surprised myself. I thought about splitting it up but since this was a bit of background and foundation laying, I decided against it. This chapter covers a lot of time, even though I don't actually specify it. Here's the number though: 60-65 years have passed in this one chapter alone. **

**If you guys want to see the timeline, I'll add it to the next chapter considering how long this one is.**

**On Claire/Skull's immortality: it's a mix of Cloud, Storm and Sun Flames.**

**About the Peter Pan thing: the book came out in 1902, Claire was born in 1904, and the first stage production was 1906. Peter's first ever depiction was on stage with a reddish tunic and dark green leggings.**


	4. Of Hunters and Prey

_"That's it, Skyco. That is the way to be a hunter. Never be in a hurry, never rush things. Wait until the prey is in your grasp, then strike swiftly and strike hard. Don't miss or it may be a long time before another opportunity appears."  
__-'Spirit Quest' by Jennifer Frick-Ruppert _

* * *

After a successful tour in the southwest, the troupe was enjoying their last night before hitting the road again. A few of the newer members had deep roots from the British Isles and had proposed a bonfire since it was also Guy Fawkes Day. Given that everyone in this particular troupe fell somewhere on the pyromania scale, it wasn't all that hard to convince people to go along with it. By sundown, there was one giant bonfire in the center with smaller ones scattered through the camp and along the edges, one of which somehow was host to a small, informal stunt competition involving said fire. Skull laughed and threw himself into the craziness wholeheartedly, though eventually the immortal stuntman bowed out, citing unfairness. However, he was shameless in egging on the antics of those who continued on.

Behind the laughter and bright eyes on the stuntman's face, the instincts of The Handyman were alert. Something wasn't right, but also not lethal to anyone in or with the troupe currently. Lack of lethality did not mean lack of a threat, a fact he knew quite well. with a smile, he made his excuses to the troupe and allowed his Cloudy instincts to come to the forefront of his mind as he strolled through every part of their camp. Most people never managed to set off his instincts in such a way that they were a mixture of warning and anticipation like this. Not even his wife when they had first met nor their kids Charon and Claudia, despite how bloodthirsty they could be. He grinned. Whoever it was would be a fun fight, should that be their purpose. If there was a little spring to his step as he approached his trailer, no one was there to see it. With the very faintest light from the fires at his back and his eyes flashing more violet than red with a bloodthirsty grin, he looked more demon than human. Especially with his Flames purring in anticipation just under his skin, staining his hair violet but leaving the tips of his hair its original red color.

Yes, he was definitely excited to see who was lying in wait.

He felt the Mist Flames on the other side of the door and licked his lips. Perhaps they would be vicious like his wife or devious like his daughter with Flames like these. Or, maybe they were nothing like the two most important women in his life. As he opened his door, all of his personas were bright and alert in his mind with their own strategies ready, pending on who their 'guest' was here for, because each of them had their own ways of toying with people seeking them out. So with all the panache of being a showman, Skull throws open the door to his personal territory, and announces his presence, the hitmen in his mind purring at the challenge the man before them exudes.

"Welcome to the abode of the Immortal Skull. Who might you be? You do not appear to be a fan of the great Skull."

Skull's dramatic flair didn't startle the man lounging on the love-seat as if he owned the trailer, not the Cloud. His Cloud bristled and seethed, barely pacified by the silent promise of blood.

"The famous Immortal Skull." The man drawled, the mask now obvious. "Or should I call you Wilhelm Martin, the man who ran away to the circus after he got married. Chantal, I believe her name was. Such a lovely woman, if a bit quiet."

The masked man spoke in accented German with such a casual tone, as if he could've been discussing the weather, and Skull-Claire's Flames stilled, both at the unspoken threat and to prevent his Flames from destroying everything in the vicinity. He needed to know how this man found out about Chané without her consent, found out enough to know she preferred not to speak even though her tongue had been regrown. Becuase if she had known, she would have gotten a message to him via Firo or Ennis or the Gandors. This masked man was no longer a considered a prospective fight for Claire or Vino. Now, he was prey for The Handyman and Skull, an unknown in the underworld as of yet. Skull now needed information on this man and playing along with whatever he had planned would be the easiest way to find out what he needed. At least the masked man didn't know about Charon or Claudia. As of yet, they weren't tied to Skull or Wilhelm or Chantal. Yes, his family could take care of themselves but he relished in the fight and often had to hold back while fighting alongside them.

"What do you want? Who are you?" Skull's German was defensive and wary.

It seemed that the man hadn't looked beyond Wilhelm, so that's exactly who this man would get. A young German immigrant, recently marrieed and working the circus with a wife that indulged him. A man that was hardworking and protective of what was his, with a reckless streak a mile wide. The identity was a civilian one that he had bought and was going to bring into the Underground in the next couple years. However, his guest had missed that Wilhelm was a purchased name and it would ultimately be his downfall, no matter how long it took. Claire wouldn't allow for any threat to come to his wife or kids, even though they were immortal. None of his personas would either, and they would be vicious in their defense.

The masked man radiated smugness. "I am Checkerface and I have a proposition for you Skull."

Skull listened as Wilhelm melted back into Claire. They were now four in number and they were the most vicious of any that had been created because they were built to thrive in the underground. When the man was gone, he would contact Chané (not Chantal because there was no more use for other identities now), Charon and Claudia. Then Firo, the Gandors, Ennis and Maiza. They would plan the masked man's end and he would never see it coming.

_(The Man in the Iron Hat thought he had gotten a civilian Cloud named Wilhelm to throw to the sharks for his amusement. Instead, unbeknownst to him, he got the Cloud-Storm-Sun hitman Claire of the aliases Vino, The Handyman, and Skull.)_


	5. Thus the World Shifts

_"I am a lion and I want to be free_

_Do you see a lion when you look inside of me?_

_Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep_

_Cause I am a lion born from things you cannot be_

_How can I sleep at night, there's a war inside my head?_

_I found a lion hidden right beneath my bed_

_I will not hide myself from the tears that you have shed_

_Cause I am a lion and you are dead_

_Here's a story of everything we'll ever be" -Lion by Hollywood Undead_

* * *

There was complete silence as six pairs of eyes moved from Reborn's gun to the empty chair to _Skull doing a fucking one-handed hand stand on the back of the chair. _Skull who was currently holding his body in a perfectly straight line without swaying or shaking. Skull who had dodged one of Reborn's bullets at close range. Skull who was _supposedly a civilian_. Skull who was grinning the biggest shit-eating grin.

"How rude. And you hail from the beautiful Italia, home of the smooth, the suave, the debonair."

They all watched as he launched himself up into the air - still one-handed - and land feet first on the chair back as light as you please.

"If you're always so trigger happy, it's quite the mystery as to how you've had as many lovers as the rumors claim."

Luce may have been surprised but her eyes burned with determined relief. She'd seen visions of other worlds where Skull was bullied and treated like shit and was so done with the others that he just let them die in the end. But she'd also seen worlds like hers, where Skull broke any and all expectations placed on him, where he bent reality to his will _because he was never told that he couldn't._ This Luce refused to be like so many of her alternate selves that didn't fight, that laid down and took it all, that were so defeated and passive that she renounced them as being versions of herself. She wanted to live, to end this curse, to end this farce of 'balance'. Looking at Skull, she mentally grinned. Checkerface didn't know what he was getting into and it was going to be glorious.

Beneath their hood, Viper's eye twitched. They had received the invitation not out of curiosity but out of vanity, to be able to state who they were and laugh at the peons who'd doubted them thus far. And then curiosity got the better of them and they researched who the previous title holders and found barely any information outside of the Giglio Nero famiglia. The same famiglia that contacted them with a list of names from the Donna of who would be invited. The mist used the information and assembled dossiers on everyone. Except the Cloud's -Skull's - seemed incomplete. Viper didn't know what specifically was missing but they knew what was generally missing. He wasn't a civilian. They needed to know more, and who it was that hid the information that well.

Fon was a martial artist, one of the best, if not the best. And he knew the man with purple hair was not normal in much the same way that he himself was not normal. They had trained and condition themselves to move in specific ways and react in others. Fon saw it in the way that Skull walked into the room, lithe and relaxed in a way that screamed predator to those who knew how to read such an athletic body. The Storm wasn't surprised by the sudden acrobatics but rather the reaction time to the bullet with barely any flame usage. Most had to use their flames to move at such speeds and he hadn't. He grinned behind his tea.

For all that Lal was a military woman, she had no problems with the Cosa Nostra that most in her profession had. Then again, it helped that she was born into that world in a minor fringe family that straddled the shades of grey. She knew how to read situations, read rooms, but this one was odd in the fact that the civilian clearly wasn't civilian, the Donna was pleased as punch about that fact, and this looked like a set of guardians meeting with a sky.

Verde knee something wasn't right, even though he accepted the invitation to the Greatest Seven. The scientists of the neutral and darker famiglias didn't like to deal with him and yet he had received an invitation to this. Wheels turned as observation were made and hypotheses were extrapolated from the data acquired. He didn't have all the pieces, but he noted the Donna knew something and that she appeared to want them. It was possible that they were connected, or perhaps they weren't. More data was needed.

Reborn stared at Skull, the man that wasn't what he seemed and had driven his instincts batty while his eyes were telling him otherwise. He trusted his instincts and wanted to know for himself why they were haywire around a civilian except he wasn't a civilian with a reaction like that. Amusingly, his instincts calmed as the Cloud and Sun t stared each other down, Flames teasing and testing on another plane before approving of each other. The Sun wasn't stupid and knew they were called here for something other than the "Greatest Seven" bullshit that was spouted to him. Now that he knew the one unknown would be able to handle himself, he gave a languid smirk at the Cloud.

"Perhaps not all my lovers share my Italian roots and prefer a different approach."

If Reborn thought of riotous red curls with wild eyes and manic laughter on a train car roof, well that was no one's business but his own.

_(In another world, Luce was resigned and pregnant and just ready for everything to be over with. In another world, the Seven were younger and prideful. __Too bad for this world's Checkerface that he got the Luce with a greater Will than he could ever have and Seven who were more skeptical than he wanted. In this world, the curse was on borrowed time.)_


	6. Choices We Made

"_Everything we do, even the slightest thing we do, can have a ripple effect and repercussions that emanate. If you throw a pebble into the water on one side of the ocean, it can create a tidal wave on the other side." – Victor Webster_

* * *

Luce refused to lie to the Strongest Flames, who each had such fragile trust that one wrong step would shatter any chance of properly working with her. So she didn't. They took missions until their trust in each other and their cohesiveness was progressing, all the while she made sure they knew that she had something to tell them but it needed the right time. Two months in, she sat them down and told them about the Curse that was coming for them, about Checkerface's role, about her ability to _See_, and what she planned to do with their help. Then she looked each of them in the eye and made promises. Viper, a Sky who would accept them quirks and all. Fon, an apprentice he would love and a nephew that would follow one of the purest Skies. Reborn, two brilliant and compassionate students that would change the world together. Lal, that not all hope was lost. Verde, a world he helped revolutionized.

She had nothing for Skull and the Cloud didn't ask. While she could _see_ almost anything, Luce couldn't see him like she could see others and so the Sky apologized. The Cloud simply waved her off with genuine nonchalance.

"I have all I want."

When they didn't leave after being told of the Curse, she thanks God and every saint she can think of and promises to attend Mass more often that she does. Not long after, Lal brought in Colonello, who was then pulled aside by Luce and returned as a quiet man for several days before becoming his loud self once more. The knowledge they now had was sobering for the Seven and helped to solidify the initial stirrings of trust, though it was in the fledgling stages for now. None of them discussed their pasts, not yet. Why offer up information that could later be used against you? Just because they had started to bond and the seeds for trust had taken root, didn't mean that they actually trusted each other that much currently. Skull refused to lie to the others about his past, but omitting wasn't the same as lying and they only ever asked about Wilhelm-Skull because they didn't know that there were others to ask about.

Of course, they have to remain in close contact for Luce's plan to work and so each of them have a room in her manor. His room was so blatantly marked as his territory to the point that other than a knock on the door, he would remain undisturbed. After all, no one wanted to upset the largest unknown in the group that had defied any and all expectations from the get go. Behind a locked door, safe in his own physical Territory, Skull would bleed away. Purple faded to red, violet to hazel, as he faded to his primary self, Claire. Sometimes, behind an additional wall of Flames, he would cycle through his flames and selves. Sun brought dark blond hair, cognac eyes, and The Handyman rising to the front. Storm was bloody red hair, bloody red eyes, and a manic grin as Vino came out. Cloud tinged the world purple-violet from his hair to his eyes to his nails when Skull was front and center. Papa Gandor had blamed it on the potency of his Flames when he focused on only one aspect at a time.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Skull lounged on the love seat, contemplating the Donna seated across from him with a determined look in her eye. Compared to most other Dons and Donnas, she was rather refreshing in that she didn't treat him or the others like minions only around to do their bidding. She was open about what she could and could not disclose, very much like his older brothers. Skull blinked and his hair gained a slight red hue for a moment as Claire took the reins.

"Let me talk to a contact of mine."

His eyes gleamed an unholy red-violet, and if it were anyone else before her, Luce would have sworn she was making a deal with the Devil himself.

_(In so many other worlds, Luce would ignore Skull and let so many injustices be done to the Cloud by the other members of the set, bitter about so many things. In other worlds, Luce did not interact or involve herself with them, ignoring the warnings she had Seen from those versions that had Bonded to the Set. This Luce ignored those particular versions of herself, instead focusing on those versions that so fiercely loved their Arcobaleno that they would do anything for them. This Luce, who befriended the German Skull, loved her set just as fiercely. But she loved the world as well. So she would love them both together and defy Fate.)_

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry about the wait between chapters. Life got in the way and this particular chapter was fighting me to be written because my muse did not want to write this one at all. But it had to be written to finish establishing what I want for this world. The Arcobaleno are going to be together for at least 2 more chapters and we're going to start seeing the effects of the **_**Baccano**_** world colliding with the **_**KHR**_** world, beyond Claire being the Skull in this particular world.**

**Also, thank you **_**Guest**_** for your reviews. If it was more than one person, I thank all of you. I try to read and response to each review if I can.**


	7. Ghostly Legends

_"The seed of an urban legend finds fertile soil at the corner of tragedy and imagination." - 'We Shadows' by Thomm Quackenbush_

* * *

"The hell kind of name is 'Rail Tracer,' kora?"

Colonello is the first one to break the silence when Luce announces the newest mission and Skull just grins that Cheshire grin as he snickers from his current lounging spot in the chandelier. They've given up on trying to understand why he lounged in such places, not even considering the ways he got to them in the first place.

"It's an American urban legend, a ghost story," comes the German accented response. "Heard about it while in the circus. The story started sometime in the early 20s, maybe earlier, who knows." He does, actually, but he's in character so technically, he isn't lying. "According to the ghost story, the Rail Tracer is a monster that chases trains under the cover of moonless nights, merging with the darkness to take on all sorts of appearances, such as a wolf, mist, or even an identical train to the one it is chasing. There is no way of knowing when it first catches up with the train; rather, one can only know that it has caught up with the train after one realizes that something is amiss. By then, it is too late to stop the phenomenon: a caught train's occupants will have already started to vanish, one by one, until there is no one left. The train, now empty, fades out of existence."

The longer he talks, the more excited he gets about this ghost story. And very animated, making the chandelier sway, to everyone's discomfort.

"Telling the story of the Rail Tracer while on a train is tantamount to summoning it, as the Rail Tracer will target the storyteller's train next. However, there is one way to prevent the Rail Tracer's arrival: one must believe in the legend. If the Rail Tracer has already come, one must do whatever they can to avoid it until sunrise, at which point it will vanish with the morning light." Skull smiles at them, and it's got a manic edge to it they haven't seen before. "It was a very popular story around the fires."

The stuntman's grin only got wider. "Of course, the story came true. _The Flying Pussyfoot _was the first train to be hit, even the story had been around for a bit by that point. So either the story was given life, or someone took the name and gave it life. Either way, most of the passengers were dead by morning including most of the crew."

They all blink.

"What."

Skull looks normal, no manic grin or glowing eyes. "Well you asked. My money is on it being a person. You hear all kinds of things in the circus."

Reborn punches the bridge of his nose. "So we have an American ghost story going on murder sprees across Europe. Wonderful."

Luce, of course, pipes up with her own grin. "Whoever this Rail Tracer is, they've only been targeting the more morally corrupt famiglias."

Lal cuts the Donna a look. "Then why should we bother?"

Of course, having looked over Luce's shoulder and seeing the reward offered, Viper all but demands they take it and Skull is the only one who doesn't argue so Luce lays out the information that is known, or rather suspected, about the Rail Tracer. Lately, there's been an unknown conductor on the targeted trains, but said conductor was never seen boarding or exiting the trains, even as a customer. Though someone managed to snag a picture and Skull bites his tongue to keep himself from laughing because the face of his primary Claire is staring out of the picture with a grin and riot red curls. He recognizes the head of dark hair behind the riot red curls and can't help his smile.

"The hell are you smiling for, kora?"

"How often do you actually get to meet a real life ghost story?"

"Tch. You're weird, Skull. So when do we leave, kora?"

Skull stays long enough to grab the time frame and when no one is looking, drops from the chandelier into a handstand then strolls up the stairs to his room. Only once he's in his territory, behind his wall of flames, does Skull begin to cackle. Because, good god, they have no idea what they're getting into and he can't wait.

Reborn stares at the face in the photograph, annoyed at the echoes of familiarity because he feels as if he should know the face grinning at the world. But the hitman shows nothing on his face, taking in the facts and already mapping out plans in his head. This is his arena where he's made his name. He'll get Viper to track down more information and then corner Skull, the slippery stuntman, to find out how many stories there are about this urban-legend-come-to-life. He doesn't believe in ghosts, not in his profession, because then he'd have so many of his own, one for each drop of blood on his hand.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Luce looks up at Skull.

"They're going to deliver. Once I have it, it's all yours."

Why was Skull lounging on the window sill two floors up?

_(Checkerface blinked and looked around him. It felt like the world was dumped over and everything put back just left of where it was supposed to be. For the life of him he couldn't understand why. At opposite side of the world, a woman with blonde hair and dark skin grins.)_


	8. As the World Spins

_"Let's let things come out of the woodwork_

_I give you my best side, tell you all my best lies"_

_-'Homemade Dynamite'_ by Lorde

* * *

Three weeks of planning later and the Seven board the train, it's in various capacities. Luce takes first class, with Reborn and Fon as bodyguards. Lal and Colonnello are given the role of a couple in middle class and Verde is somewhere in the middle class as well, looking every bit the scientist he is. Viper, of course, claims the cheapest seats on the train while Skull grins and dons the uniform of a conductor. He is giddy and what's left of the Wilhelm persona claims he's excited to meet a living ghost story. Claire the primary, on the other hand, feels nostalgic and can't wait for night to fall.

Enough of Claire bleeds into Skull that the red and purple mix to be more of a dark brunette and the other Seven don't recognize him immediately when he comes for their tickets. There's something to be said for a professional showman who can blend in and become what he wants. No one admits that it's slightly unsettling. Though there is a man that has Skull grinning and leaves the three seated in the high class car rather suspicious of him. He's an old man in a white suit and white shoes, barely a hint of blonde left in his white hair, and a predatory smile as he seems to analyze the faces of various staff. His gaze lingers on Skull and the crazy Cloud simply gives the man a cheeky grin. All Four catch the glimpse of a metal hand and Skull's grin widens. The old man's smile stretches but doesn't say a thing, though his foot starts a restless tapping.

Skull finishes his rounds through his assigned cars, with pleasant smiles and generic small talk with some of the guests. He's pleasant to the other conductors and it's easy to see that he's done this before, enough that he's a natural and at home. So Viper adds it to their mental notes on the Cloud because no leads have turned up since the Mist sent out their feelers. Eventually, there would be a hit and Viper was a patient Mist.

Lal and Colonello, looking every bit the couple they're masquerading as, notice the ease of Skull as a conductor as he makes small talk with a handful of actually decent seeming people in their car, a dark-haired woman in her thirties and a younger man with almost the same shade of hair. It's generic pleasantries and Skull is preforming so they don't pay a lot of attention but just enough to see that apparently the woman finds Skull attractive and the young man couldn't care less. In other words, nothing of note and Lal's eyes rove the car in a ruse of boredom while Colonello puts his arm around her and looks out the window, using the reflection to keep an eye on the car. Why it had to be evening train, Colonello guesses that it must be to keep up the ghost story ruse. Good thing they adjusted their sleep schedules for this.

Verde, with a brain like his, is wired for details as long as he's looking for them and almost misses the conductor that asks for his ticket but manages to get a look when he remembers what they're supposed to be doing. There's a hint of red hair under the conductor's hat and a mischievous glint in yellow-hazel eyes. But there's no curls and he's used to seeing that look from Skull before he's found in the oddest places that no human, Flame-Active or not, should be able to reach. So he makes a mental note as he thanks the conductor but isn't immediately concerned. There was a lack of curl to the hair, for one, and two, they're only here to observe and try to ascertain the identity of the Rail Tracer. Though preferred alive, they were given license to kill if they were attacked by the Rail Tracer. The conductor walks away and Verde goes back to his notes. Might as well get some work done while waiting for the mission to really start.

-.-.-.-.-

There's a flicker and then there is a man with rusty hair and black eyes. There's a whisper of a breath and the man is gone. Just a vial glowing gold and note on a table left behind.

-.-.-.-.-

In another part of the world a woman with blonde hair, dark skin and sunsets for eyes grins. The world is spinning and turning and aging the way it should. And she Knows the way everything that the potential to end. She Knows the players, every decision they could make, and every outcome. She is awake again and will not directly interfere but, when the time is right, she will act. She shakes off the dust and dark lips pull into a smile revealing perfect teeth as she stands, walking out in to the sun in her kalasiris*. She walks barefoot in the sand and basks in the warmth of the sun. Alone, she hums a song that she Knowsbut it hasn't been written and won't be for another few decades.

She thinks a name, an Old Name that hasn't been spoken or thought for eras. She blinks and in the empty expanse of sand before her, there is suddenly a man with rusty hair and black eyes dressed in a suit.

She grins and he smiles in return. Only they can feel the world as it spins.

* * *

**Sorry about the wait for this update. My grandmother has been diagnosed with the final stage of Alzheimer's and I'm one of her primary care givers so more of my time is going to taking care of her, especially as her levels of brain deterioration keep increasing in leaps and bounds.**

**As far as the story goes, I promise I do have a plot and I know how I'm getting there, even if it doesn't quite feel like it just yet. In this chapter, I have introduced a few new characters to the chaos I'm writing. I'm curious how many you guys can identify them and the first person to name all of them will get a one shot of whatever they want written by yours truly. PM me with your answers! Hint: I'm including characters that have only been referenced up to this point as well.**

***kalasiri-traditional Egyptian sheath dress**

**Heads up: there may be formatting changes depending on the characters involved from now on.**


	9. Author Update

Hello everyone.

This is not a new chapter, but an Author's Update.

"No Lies Here" has not been abandoned, I promise. The last six to seven months have been rough on me and my family due to multiple deaths in the family as well as holiday season in the retail world.

I do have an outline for this story with an endgame in mind. That being said, upon rereading what I've written so far, I'm not 100% satisfied with several chapters so I am debating on rewriting the story or not. Should I choose to rewrite 'No Lies Here', I will reupload it.

Please be patient with me as I get back into the swing of writing now that my life has calmed down again with a muse chomping at the bit. This story is being worked on right now and several other KHR crossovers are in the works.

Thank you to everyone who had followed, favorited, and reviewed this story.

Gala Secrets


	10. Interlude 1: Punctuality via Family

_**Hey everyone. I am resuming the story from my phone as my laptop has given up the ghost. Chapter 8 "As the World Spins" has been updated, by the way. Here's a fun little interlude that happens during chapter 8, but from a different perspective. I hope you all enjoy it!**_

"We've listened more to life's end gong than

The sound of life's sweet bells"

-_Missed the Boat_ by Modest Mouse

* * *

"Look at you all dressed up!"

She coos teasingly as riot red lips pull into a teasing grin and deft hands swipe red curls back into a low bun.

"Fuck off." He flips her the bird and she cackles. "You need to get ready and we've less than an hour."

She simply grins. "Ó mo dheartháir beag*, I'm not the one who spends forever in front of his mirror every morning."

He gives her an exaggerated eye roll and another raising of his middle finger as she slides into the bathroom. He loves his loon of a sister. Really, he does. The lock on the door clicks and he rubs his temples.

"You are such a pain in the ass when máthair* and athair* aren't around."

Her giggles are easily heard through the door. "And you aren't?"

"I never said that I wasn't one, ó deirfiúr an-mhaith liom*."

She hums decisively and for a while there is only silence and running water. So he enjoys it while he can, lounging in the hotel chair and browsing the morning paper while he waits. The water stops and he assumes she'll be done soon.

"Any guesses as to how long until athair joins us?" Her voice drifts through the bathroom door.

He shrugs, knowing she can't see him. "Not too sure, honestly. But he'll probably show up when máthair does. It's rather uncanny how they manage it without communicating."

"Mm. Good point."

She exits the bathroom and swipes her hat off the bed, flipping it onto her head and striking a pose.

"I'm ready!"

He just shakes his head and puts on his jacket. "Tá tú ag a leithéid de lón*."

She straightens up, grinning like a mad woman. "Ah but you love me!" She swings the door open and steps out into the hallway. "Shall we, mianach deartháir*?"

He rolls his eyes, again, but there's no denying the affection curling at the edges of his mouth or warming her eyes.

"Yes, yes, mo dheirfiúr míshásta*. Besides, don't you have somewhere to be?"

He playfully shoves her out of the way so he can close the door behind them.

"Not like I'm going be late, tú asal*."

"There's a first time for everything, cailleach*."

The narrowing of her eyes is his only warning before she tries to shove him out a nearby window and takes off down the hallway. He doesn't hit the window, but it's a near thing and he slams into the wall. He knows she saw because she starts cackling like a madwoman.

"Trasna ort féin*!"

"Caithfidh tú a ghabháil liom at dtús*!"

He takes off after her but she already has a head start, waving at him as she flies down the stairs.

"Faigh ar ais anseo, mar sin cuidigh liom dia*!"

She just cackles.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Hazel eyes gleam as she adjusts her bun while waiting on the engineer to start the meeting. Johann isn't here, she remembers something about his wife but she hadn't really been listening. But it means they're now short a person so she's taking all of the cars or they're bringing on a temporary conductor. Then the door opens and there's a brunet with brown eyes.

"Everyone, this is Wilhelm Martin. He's covering for Johann since his wife gave birth last week. Wilhelm, you'll be working with our other conductor, Heloïse, to cover the train."

Done speaking, the man sits and takes a long drink of his coffee. Wilhelm just gives a small wave, tilting his head as he smiles.

"Hallo. I look forward to working with you all."

The greeting is given with a German accent and Heloïse hides her budding grin with the rim of her tea cup. Looks like she found athair. Now, she hopes her brat de dheartháir beag* finds heir máthair soon. Hazel eyes meet brown and her teacup doesn't hide her grin as his smile grows.

Some one groans and she thinks it's one of the porters. The French kid, maybe.

"Saint Mère de Dieu, il y en a deux*."

She called it. Definitely the French kid.

* * *

**Translations (via google translate so please correct me if I messed something up):**

**Ó mo dheartháir beag- Irish; Oh my darling little brother**

**Máthair- Irish; mother**

**Athair- Irish; father**

**Ó deirfiúr an-mhaith liom- Irish; oh annoying sister of mine**

**Tá tú ag a leithéid de lón- Irish; you are such a loon.**

**Mianach dheartháir- Irish; brother mine**

**Mo dheirfiúr míshásta- Irish; my most annoying sister**

**Tú asal- Irish; you ass**

**Cailleach- Irish; witch**

**Trasna ort féin- Irish; go fuck yourself**

**Caithfidh tú a ghabháil liom at dtús- Irish; you have to catch me first**

**Faigh ar ais anseo, mar sin cuidigh liom dia- Irish; Get back here so help me god**

**Brat de dheartháir beag- Irish; brat of a little brother**

**Saint Mère de Dieu, il y en a deux- French; Holy Mother if God, there's two of them**


	11. By the Light of the Moon

**"There's a humming in the restless summer air**

**And we're slipping off the course that we've prepared."**

**-_Glory and Gore_ by Lorde**

* * *

It's just after midnight and he's relaxing away from the rest of them. It's not that he's avoiding them, because honestly, if he wanted to there's be nothing to keep him from doing so. And they wouldn't be able to find him unless they contact the Man in the Iron Mask anyway. He stretches and arches like a cat, all impossible flexibility as he bends backwards and grins at the pair of shoes that have just now entered his line of sight.

"People are getting antsy, you know."

He grins and his company snickers on reply, waving off the air of false concern. Because there is no worry or concern for them. Besides, he was supposed to find out who the Rail Tracer is, or if they're even on this train. But there's a fabulous thing with loopholes in that he's gotten quite good at finding them. In this case, he never actually agreed so therefore, he doesn't have to comply and he can do so without breaking his own personal code of maintaining honesty. The stuntman unbends himself and straightens up, Cheshire cat grin stretching across his face as the wind buffers against his back.

Not another word is spoken but with people like them, there isn't really a need for words. The quiet laughter turned cackling, however, is swallowed by the wind as Skull jumps back down onto the coupling between cars from the train roof with a cheery wave.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Reborn would never admit to being anxious or having nerves of any kind. However, the lack of anything was bothering the hitman. He knew that there was only a slim chance that this particular train would be targeted, based on his own digging, but the person who had requested the job had been very confident in whatever Intel he or she had. That was another problem. Their employer, for a lack of better terminology, was an unknown and everything had been relayed through several different proxies. Not even Viper had been able to discover their identity. All in all, this was a less than ideal job but they had taken it anyway.

The hitman stood and stepped out of the compartment he was sharing with the Sky and Storm. He needed a cigarette, badly, and the windows in the hall opened easily enough that he could lean against the wall for a smoke without it lingering in the train car hall.

"Good evening, sir."

He did not start at the sudden female voice, rather slid his eyes to observe the woman. Petite frame clad in the conductor's uniform, hair pulled back and under her hat with nary a stray hair. Completely professional and an air about her that suggested she quite enjoyed her job aboard the train.

"Have you been finding everything to your satisfaction, sir?" Her red, red lips pull into a smile as he turns his full attention to her.

"Good evening, signorina. It has been a pleasurable experience thus far."

Hazel eyes gleam. "I am glad you have been enjoying yourself." Her gaze slides to the night sky, through the window. "Such a lovely night, tonight. The moon is absolutely lovely, don't you think?"

Reborn's gaze turns to the window, languidly lifting the cigarette to his lips. "Mm. It is a lovely sight."

"Well, I must carry on with my duties. Enjoy the rest of your night, sir."

And she was gone down the hall and through the door to the next car, leaving him with the moon and a partially open window for companions. The moment his cigarette is finished, he tosses the remainder through the window and he steps back into the compartment, closing the door behind him.

Unseen, gleaming purple eyes flash outside the window and the windows shuts. There are l webs cracks in the corner of the window where something shoved it closed, a cigarette wedged into the pane.


End file.
